TERRAZZO BLUSH
IT MAY BE NEUTRAL, BUT THERE’S NOTHING BLAND ABOUT THIS BATHROOM BRIMMING WITH PLAYFUL FEATURES
It was love at first sight when interior designer Kia Howat from GIA Bathrooms and Kitchens presented a terrazzo-look tile to Melbourne homeowners Anna and Mark. Although the couple wanted calm, light tones for their new-look ensuite, they were happy to push the boundaries of a typical neutral palette. “Anna and Mark came to me in need of a complete ensuite overhaul,” says Kia, of the swift five-week transformation that had an expansion of the small shower space at the top of their wish list. “They wanted to update tired finishes and rework the layout to improve functionality.”
With an existing concrete floor in place, changing the plumbing wasn’t easy, so Kia’s inspired solution was to conceal pipework in a feature nib wall that doubles as a shelf running along the main wall. Clad in terrazzo-look porcelain tiles that travel down the lower half of the wall and across the floor, the effect is incredibly striking yet perfectly balanced. “The terrazzo-look tiles really informed the look and feel and added impact to the scheme,” says Kia. “They have a soft ivory base punctuated with warm terracotta, grey and black terrazzo chips, so I picked up the calm neutral tones in the custom vanity, shelving and the textural concrete basin so the room still felt soft and subtle.” Another masterstroke was enhancing the sense of space and natural light with reflective surfaces. Bespoke mirror doors opposite a window reflect the garden view and open up like a butterfly. No longer drab, this new take on neutrals is oh-so elegant.
“STACKING THE TILES VERTICALLY RATHER THAN HORIZONTALLY ALSO CREATED A MORE MODERN LOOK”~ KIA HOWAT, INTERIOR DESIGNER